And the LAO estimates are about 1/2 of that. Compared to what they pay today under the existing compacts, it is a mere pittance of an increase... while they get to triple their slots in the state. That's what irks me the most about this--the way they are selling it. If Californians want to increase gambling, they should have the right to vote for it directly, not approve it in the fine print of some falsely-advertised initiative that is marketed as a solution to the state's defict (even though it won't solve that either!) And why should tribes be given the monopoly? And just certain tribes, at that!
I oppose it for the above reason, but also because it takes all the money and puts it into the General Fund to subsidize Sacramento's crack habit (today it goes into two trust funds). It looks like just anohter piggy-bank, to me.
I don't want Indian Gaming "War Lords" in my state, corrupting my state government and fighting it out in the streets in drive-by gun battles just like Capone and the Mob!!! We don't even have a legitimate CA Gaming Commission with teeth like NV's to keep things governed correctly!!!
Another good reason to question it. And, when it becomes evident that more teeth are required to keep these guys in check, that will eat into a bunch of this money. Of course, there is also the question as to how much they will be able to enforce anything when located on sovereign Indian lands. Apparently the tribes won't even hand over the details behind their savings estimates for these initiatives. BTW, the guy that recruited Arnold to run for Gov was a long time associate of a guy that was imprisoned for laundering mob money through Indian casinos. I'm just sayin...
D1--as to Tom takin' money from the tribes--if you recall, those were independent expenditures by the tribes on Tom's behalf. He couldn't have stopped it if he wanted to; the money was not his to spend. On the other hand, those tribes have given millions this go around directly to the California Republican Party who is shilling for these initiatives to pass and using the money for glossy voter pamphlets. I think Tom, just like before, is showing his libertarian bent and supports the tribes "sovereignty." I may not agree with him but he is consistent and I don't see anything immoral or corrupt about it.
Well, I don't either UNLESS... It's done in the spirit of "let the baby's have their milk" and "lets use it to keep them down on the liberal/libertarian plantation and under our ultimate control."
You see, when I confronted both federal officials and local tribal officials about the actual factual status of this pseudo sovereignty, they admitted to me that these are not "sovereign nations" or "sovereign lands" stuck here and there within the USA like Soweto and a couple of other's are in South Africa, these are only "sovereign ENTITIES," they informed me as one of our county's elected officials in charge of "land use" which includes zoning, planning, etc...
Now they desperately needed a drinking water supply for their sovereign entity/future casino and they finally surrendered some of their precious sovereignty to the local irrigation district as another governmental entity with a board elected by voters within said district. So when the tribal leaders came to my board due to being locked in a battle with a contiguous homeowners association about wanting all the future casino customers to drive through said H.O. Assn. roads... I had to remind them that sovereignty is a lot like virginity! You can't go around surrendering little bits of it here and there!!!
Now I'm sure this wasn't politically correct and completely out of line for "affirmative action" and not at all representative of "compassionate conservatism," but please tell me whatever happened to assimilation into America's fantastic "melting pot?" How we gonna git there with these tribal enclaves tryin to act like sovereigns when me and my tribe cannot do that???
You touched on several reasons why Tom isn’t exactly pristine on this IMO. The tribes are funneling major funds into political coffers in order to exert influence. It has clearly resulted in the repbulican party backing their play in this election. Tom should know better than this.
The misleading (or fraudulent if you get right down to it) nature of what is being foisted off on the public, is downright dirty IMO. Tom shouldn’t sign on to these intitiatives if they aren’t going to be presented in an above board manor.
Then we get to the issue of an agreement that has been written to cover the gaming arangement for the next twenty years. Is Tome looking out for us or not? IMO, it’s a big fat NOT if he thinks this is a good deal. It just doesn’t look like it to me.
As for my comments about Tom taking donations from the tribes, I appreciate you setting the record straight. It had been my understanding that he had take a few hundred thousand just a bit prior to the recall election. If that is not correct, I don’t want Tom to be tainted because of my inaccurate memory.
When I signed on to the gaming initiatives for the tribes, I signed on to help California’s Native Americans lead a better quality of life. I did not sign on so the tribes could take billions from their profits and spread it around Sacramento buying influence.
Now we’re poised to tripple the number of slots in the state, and a problem that is already evident seems about to get a lot worse.
I’m not going anywhere near these initiatives with a yes vote.